Meet Our Staff

Meet the Staff

Our helpful staff provides expert advising to UCR international students and intercultural
programming for the entire UCR community. Meet the skilled people dedicated to supporting
UCR international student success.

Dr. Magid Shirzadegan joins UCR after posts at California State University, Fullerton,
Xing Wei College in Shanghai, University of Oregon and University of Michigan. Magid
is an accomplished scholar and experienced administrator, having previously served
as the Director of International Gateway Programs at Cal State Fullerton and Director
of International Student & Scholar Services at the University of Oregon. He has more
than 20 years of experience advising, teaching and working with international students
and faculty, in addition to directing staff, coordinating orientations for international
students, handling financial aid, tax and immigration matters for all international
students and scholars at the University of Oregon.

He earned a Ph.D. in Plant Genetics from Georg-August Universität, in Göttingen, Germany,
an M.S. in Crop Science from the University of Wyoming, and a B.S. in Agricultural
Extension from Hamadan University in Iran. In 2009, Magid was a Fulbright Scholar
in the International Education Administrators Program in Korea.

Kelly has studied, lived and worked in Japan. She speaks Japanese and specializes
in intercultural communication. She is the campus liaison to the US Department of
Homeland Security and US Department of State as UCR’s primary designated school official
(PDSO) and responsible officer (RO). With extensive experience in international education,
Kelly enjoys promoting international students through campus outreach and looks forward
to seeing more international students on campus each year. When she’s not at work,
Kelly enjoys reading, swimming and hiking with family and friends.

Scott has extensive experience in international education and most recently served
as an International Student Advisor (DSO and ARO) at Washington State University in
Pullman, Washington. As a child, Scott lived two years in Germany, while as an adult,
Scott has lived and worked in both South Korea and Vietnam; managing ESL programs,
teaching English and advising students pursuing higher education opportunities in
the United States. In college, Scott volunteered with the Department of International
Development for the City of Spokane, Washington; serving primarily as a liaison to
the Spokane Sister Cities Association. He has travelled extensively throughout Asia, speaks Korean, and enjoys experimenting in the kitchen with a variety of international
cuisines.

International Student AdvisorMaster's in EducationB.A. Early Childhood Education

Jenny is a former international student from Korea. She received her TESOL Master's
degree from Pepperdine University. Jenny has used her experience as an international
student to relate to students and help them work through both academic and personal
issues. In her free time, she enjoys camping with her family and friends.

International Student AdvisorM.B.A.B.A. Economics and Political Science

Ankita received a Bachelors degree from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, in India
and an M.B.A. from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). As a student,
Ankita worked as an International Peer Advisor. As an alumnus, she served CSUSB in
a variety of roles, most recently as an International Admissions and Communications
Specialist in the Center of International Studies and Programs. She has 11 years of
international student-centered experience: academic advising, in-depth knowledge of
nonimmigrant visas, international student recruitment, and student organization outreach.

Lisa graduated from University of California, Irvine and studied abroad at Hong Kong
Polytechnic University. After her graduation, she went to South Korea to teach English
to more than 500 students in an elementary school. Lisa has over five years of experience
working with international applications, admissions, and immigration policies. In
her free time, she enjoys traveling, learning about new cultures, and exercising.
Her next travel goal is to visit Europe.

We Love Our IPAs!

Meet our international peer advisors (IPAs), dedicated student volunteers who help international students acclimate to American
culture and confidently navigate UCR. They make sure orientation is informative and
organized, assist with outreach and more.